Saturday, September 19, 2015

I actually write in several genres. I write mysteries and teen super hero stories under Kari Lee Townsend, and I write romance and women's fiction under Kari Lee Harmon. It keeps me from getting bored ;)

How did you come to write mysteries and teen super heroes?

I started writing romance novels because that was what I liked to read. And since I have four children, I came up with the idea for my teen super hero series because my kids are obsessed with their technology gadgets, and I told them if they weren't careful they might turn into one of their gadgets someday. The progression into cozy mysteries came when I realized they weren't that different than the romantic comedies I was writing with their small towns, quirky characters, romance and humor. The main difference was I now had a mystery to solve. And finally my venture into women's fiction came about after I grew older and started reading about a lot of things either myself or my friends were going through. I really liked the emotion of the stories and how real they were. I could relate on many levels and hoped to do the same for my readers.

Who is your favorite character to write about?

Hands down my favorite character to write about is Granny Gert. She's Sunny Meadows grandmother, and she is actually based on my own grandmother Gertrude. My grandmother was a hoot and had the same snow white hair and snappy brown eyes. She wore old aprons, had the same pumpkin cookie jar with a foil-covered plated for a lid, and she also his money around the house. Including her in my stories is my way of immortalizing her. I'm sure she's smiling down from above as we speak :)

Who inspires your books?

My parents are awesome. My dad made me believe I could do anything I wanted to, and my mother encouraged me to follow my dreams. Then there's my husband of twenty-six years who totally supports whatever I want to do without complaint. And lastly I want to make my kids proud and show them that if you want something badly enough, there's always a way to achieve it.

What do you do when your not writing?

Did I mention I have four kids. Haha. What don't I do? I have very little free time that doesn't revolve around my children and their many activities and sporting events. When I do have free time, I love to travel, I love wine tasting, and I love photography.

If you were stuck on a deserted island what three things would you take?

A good book, a pad of paper, and a pen. As long as I could find a way to read and write, I would survive with my imagination as my entertainment. Hey, with my crazy life, a little solitude isn't necessarily a bad thing :) Thanks so much for having me. It's been fun. To find out more about me and all of my books, check out my website at www.karileetownsend.com